The Mercy of Allah [Paperback]

Hillaire Belloc (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2005

First published in 1922, The Mercy of Allah describes the civilization of the Arabs through the extraordinary tales a wealthy grandfather relates to his beloved grandchildren. These richly textured stories show how this prosperous Arab deceived his own countrymen to gain great fortunes, while also demonstrating the richness of Arab culture through the ages. The cultural standards described are still quite common in the Middle East. Mahmoud's saga points out the contrasts between Western and Eastern attitudes toward trade, banking, and human relations. And, of course, we see the central roles that religion and family play in everyday Arab life.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

From the Back Cover

First published in 1922, The Mercy of Allah describes the civilization of the Arabs through the extraordinary tales a wealthy grandfather relates to his beloved grandchildren.

These richly textured stories show how this prosperous Arab deceived his own countrymen to gain great fortunes, while also demonstrating the richness of Arab culture through the ages. The cultural standards described are still quite common in the Middle East. Mahmoud's saga points out the contrasts between Western and Eastern attitudes toward trade, banking, and human relations.

And, of course, we see the central roles that religion and family play in everyday Arab life.

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Cosimo Classics (May 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596051191
• ISBN-13: 978-1596051195
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,509,159 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A clever, biting satire of capitalism set in old Arabia, July 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mercy of Allah (Paperback)

Belloc sardonically recounts the exploits of one Mahmoud, a sharp Baghdad merchant turned money lender who has grasped and clawed his way to the top. Ostensibly a critique of Islamic culture set many centuries ago, the book is really an attack on the unbridled greed of the modern West. As a work of socio-economic satire it forms a nice complement to Belloc's Distributist writings like The Servile State. A. N. Wilson calls it "the most brilliant of his fantasies."

8 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anyone interested in Islamic history will love this book, December 20, 2005

By 

Book Lover - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mercy of Allah (Paperback)

Well written and engaging - I highly recommend it.